Sourdough Cookies
These richly spiced, chewy sourdough cookies are an excellent way to use excess sourdough starter or discard, which is never in short supply for habitual sourdough bakers. The trick to the cookie's bold character is using as many freshly ground spices as possible—their strong punchiness is pleasantly balanced by the rich flavor of the flours and unrefined sweeteners. A spice grinder is best for preparing whole spices into a fine powder for measuring, but a clean coffee mill works just as well. Using this combination of stone-ground spelt, rye, and buckwheat flours leads to a robust grain flavor, thick cookie, and slight chew. This is a thick, hefty dough; Sarah Owens sources heavy-duty vintage ice cream scoops to make portioning easier. For a stronger flavor and more tender crumb, ferment the dough in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before scooping and baking.